


Suspicious Persons

by Kalloway



Category: Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
Genre: Multi, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-30 04:14:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20091106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalloway/pseuds/Kalloway
Summary: Nel receives a report of suspicious persons outside Arias. Is it bandits, or...?





	Suspicious Persons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FireEye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireEye/gifts).

Nel didn't hesitate when the report came in. There had been a rash of banditry between Kirlsa and Arias, something both Airyglyph and Aquaria were doing their best to eradicate with little success. 

Suspicious persons on the road to Arias... 

Nel had to check it out. 

Clair had been summoned to the capital, leaving Nel in charge, but she wasn't about to just sit around and delegate. The last thing she wanted was to have to tell Clair that someone had been mugged, or... worse... on her watch. 

She was out past the town gate before the lad who'd alerted her had even gotten back to his home. 

There was, mostly, a lot of nothing. It was just after midday but there was nothing. Anyone traveling had already come or gone. The bandits, thus far, had mostly been picking off lone merchants trying to get back and forth in the twilight. 

Nel wasn't sure how far she wanted to go, either. She trusted Airyglyph to have someone watching their parts of the land, usually from the air. 

Just as she was thinking she'd have to perhaps scold the town's children for venturing so far past the town's limits, she heard a noise. 

Ducking behind a rocky outcropping, Nel scrambled to try to see whoever or whatever had made the noise before she was spotted and had to do something about it. 

And then she laughed. 

Yes, those were certainly suspicious people heading her way. Incredibly suspicious. 

Hilariously suspicious... 

A very welcome sight indeed. 

The only thing about Cliff that suggested any time had passed was that his hair had gotten a bit shaggy. Mirage still looked entirely the same. She'd also just bopped a small monster in the nose to persuade it to leave her alone. 

Thankfully, it did, realizing that neither she nor Cliff were its prey and staggering back towards a clump of brush. 

"Coming to pay a visit?" Nel asked as she stepped out onto the path in front of them. 

Mirage wheeled but caught herself. Cliff just laughed. 

"Exactly that," he said with a wide smile. "How did you know we were coming?" 

"Report of suspicious persons on the road," Nel replied. She nodded in the direction of Arias. "We've had bandits, so I thought I'd check it out." 

"Haven't seen any," Mirage commented. "Fortunately for them." 

"Are you saying we're suspicious?" Cliff asked, still smiling. 

"As suspicious as they come." Nel fell into step with them both, though she didn't entirely let her guard down. "What are you doing here?" 

"Honestly, thought we'd stop in." Cliff shrugged. "Didn't know if you'd be here, but it seemed the most likely place." 

"There's more to the story," Mirage added. "We just can't disclose all of it." 

"Mirage..." 

"What?" Mirage looked over at Nel. "Nel, would you believe we're just here on vacation?" 

Nel frowned, considering. No, no she would not. Fayt was the type to just show up and decide to wander around the continent for awhile, visiting. Cliff and Mirage were not. 

"No. Why are you here?" 

Cliff laughed. "Okay, okay. We came to the planet on... semi-official business. Not our usual, but... Greeton, basically." 

"What about Greeton?" Nel narrowed her eyes. She knew Greeton was different, as did everybody. But interactions with them were few and far between. However... 

"Nothing you need to worry about," Mirage replied quickly. "I mean that honestly. There's no thread to your country or Airyglyph. We just saw a request to scout their technology level and population and even though it's definitely not our usual work..." 

"You thought you were the best ones for the job anyway," Nel concluded. Perhaps that wasn't wrong, but from what she knew of Greeton, Cliff and Mirage must have stuck out. 

Suspicious persons, she supposed. 

~*~

The rest of the short walk back to Arias had involved Cliff neatly deflecting conversation away from Greeton with skill that Nel rather appreciated. There would be digging to do, later, but she could at least offer Cliff and Mirage a chance to rest and eat first. 

She didn't think she was actually worried about Greeton as much as very, very curious. Something had triggered enough interest for a visit from... Nel had never quite understood all the political webs that Cliff and Mirage were involved with that literally spanned galaxies, but there was something odd about all this. 

Mirage had happily taken up the offer for a nap. Cliff had insisted he was fine, but after far too much relative silence, she'd peeked in on him and found him gently snoring. 

That, she supposed, was less curious and more amusing than anything. 

Nel had her own report to write up, which she quickly logged and then set about securing proper plans for dinner. She'd had to send a couple newer recruits on a shopping expedition, but she could tell herself it wasn't entirely a misuse of resources; she'd get some intelligence from it if she was careful. 

Mirage was the first one down and judging by the little smile on her face, she'd peeked in on Cliff as well. 

"This brings back memories," Mirage said softly. "Is there anything I can do to help?" 

Nel shook her head. "Almost finished. What's the food like in Greeton?" 

Mirage laughed. "You're really curious, aren't you? Honestly, you don't need to worry about them. They're on a technological level to monitor, but that's about it. We'd heard about a group of... Let's just call them "refugees"... that headed there to settle." 

"And that's what they did; they just want to be left alone and don't seem interested in conspiring on anything."

Both women turned to see Cliff in the doorway. Mirage winced. 

"But it was worth checking out and we've already sent a full report. So I suppose this _is_ a vacation," Cliff continued. "It'd help if you'd kindly forget most of what Mirage just told you." 

"I can do that." Nel nodded. If Cliff didn't find any threats, there weren't any threats. They'd been through enough together that she believed him. 

"Good. Now what did you make? It smells incredible." 

Nel laughed. Cliff had always seemed fond of her cooking, when she'd had a chance to try things. They'd had a lot of late nights together in various workshops, each trying to finish projects to get them a little further... Mostly she'd ended up feeding the engineers and smiths, though one of her dishes had turned out well enough to patent. That got her a few coins now and then, at least... enough that if there had been bandits, they would have been dispatched with the best. 

"No, really. Mostly we just eat whatever's on the ship... It's been great having Mirage back, but..." 

Mirage gave him a nudge in the arm that almost looked painful, though she didn't comment. 

"You had left?" Nel questioned. The thought of them apart was odd. 

Mirage sighed. "My father had a slight cold, decided he was dying, and begged me to return to take over the dojo," she explained. "By the time I got there, he was healthy as ever but it wasn't quite as easy to escape." 

Cliff nodded. "I had to defeat them both in order to borrow Mirage back and let poor Lancar finally have a vacation. It... took awhile, between everything. At least Lancar made it home before his kid's next birthday." 

"There will be the matter of the dojo someday," Mirage continued. "I can't imagine not following in my father's footsteps in the end." 

Nel nodded. She knew that feeling well. Her father was never truly far from her mind or work. 

"I'm not thinking any farther than dinner," Cliff said as he reached for Nel's spoon. To her credit, she did not hit him with it. The food was ready, it was time to eat. 

Dinner was an endless stream of catching up. Albel, Adray, Fayt, Maria... Dozens of inventors who'd become good friends and collaborators... 

Nel wasn't sure when she'd had such a pleasant meal and she was honestly sad that Clair wasn't there for it. But she was also glad to be able to speak freely and... enjoy the connection that she had with both Cliff and Mirage. 

They'd had some interesting nights, before-- 

Mirage was just helping her clean up when a couple of new recruits ran into the kitchen. 

"There are some suspicious persons on the road--" 

They grabbed Cliff on their way out the door. 

This time, it _was_ the bandits and they had a merchant at their mercy when Nel, Mirage, and Cliff arrived. 

Nel froze for a moment when she realized there were twenty bandits versus the three of them, but neither Mirage nor Cliff seemed bothered. 

They were a step ahead of her as she drew her blades, smiles on their faces. Nel smiled too. This felt good, in a strange way. Like old times... 

It did not take long to knock out and tie up the entire group; by the time backup arrived with a wagon, Nel had already healed both Cliff and the merchant, who was busily trying to give Mirage impressive discounts on wares. 

Well, that was dealt with... 

Which meant... 

There wasn't room for the three of them in the wagon, but Nel didn't think any of them minded walking the short distance back to town. Nel took Cliff's hand when it was offered. And she offered hers to Mirage a moment later. 

The night would be theirs, their spirits were high... 

Just like old times.


End file.
